Posted: 5/2/25 at 9:03am
First post-noms casualty.
17 previews and 127 regular performances.
Updated On: 5/2/25 at 09:03 AM
Posted: 5/2/25 at 9:08am
And we miss every Broadway theater being occupied by 6 days.
Updated On: 5/2/25 at 09:08 AM
Posted: 5/2/25 at 9:11am
Bad score hurt this show more than anything, imo. It was the reason I never bought a ticket. RIP
Updated On: 5/2/25 at 09:11 AM
Posted: 5/2/25 at 9:15am
Not even Idina's crazy fans could keep this show open.
Posted: 5/2/25 at 9:16am
A shame for everyone involved, and my heart goes out to the entire team.
That said, this was truly a terrible show. I hope the experience doesn't turn Idina away from Broadway for too long and that her next return is something with significantly better material.
Posted: 5/2/25 at 9:24am
Hearts out to all the teenage Idina Menzel fangirlies out there. This too shall pass.
Posted: 5/2/25 at 9:28am
There were clear problems with the show when I saw it in San Diego, but they did nothing in the following year to fix anything. This is a clear example of when a production should be bringing in an outside damaturg to give feedback instead of relying on their own echo chamber. (See also Lempicka)
Hell, they could have read my comments here and got advice for frigging free.
The reported mess Tina Landau has put on stage at Lincoln Center (I haven't been to NYC since November, so am relying on reports I have read) are further evidence that the writer should not also be the director.
Updated On: 5/2/25 at 09:28 AM
Posted: 5/2/25 at 9:42am
I suspect there was some hubris by the creative team and producers of "even if this isn't an A-tier show, it will still sell tickets and the production value will be a sales asset in addition to Idina."
Writers directing their own material can be hit and miss. Landau, Lapine, Laurents, and Mamet have had their shares of successes and flops.
Two behind-the-scenes things I only just realized from IBDB:
Updated On: 5/2/25 at 09:42 AM
Posted: 5/2/25 at 9:45am
I think this was really a case of Landau and Menzel being way too close to the material after having developed it for so long, coupled with a wild overestimation of Menzel's box office draw.
Posted: 5/2/25 at 9:48am
Thoughts that Chess will announce an opening at the Nederlander for the fall?
Posted: 5/2/25 at 9:54am
"Throughout its time on Broadway, Redwood partnered with several organizations to help raise awareness and funds to support the themes depicted in the show. Through these partnerships, the show helped raise more than $2,000,000 for these social impact organizations, including $1,500,000 for Save the Redwoods League, $250,000 for A BroaderWay, $180,000 for Broadway Cares and $40,000 for Julia Butterfly Hill’s nonprofit Circle of Life. In addition, through a collaboration with Redwood Empire Whiskey, more than 400 trees were planted in the month of April and separately, more than 50 Redwood trees were planted at the Gateway to Big Basin Redwoods State Park in honor of the show’s cast and crew."
Say what you will about the show, this is awesome.
Posted: 5/2/25 at 10:02am
The Nederlander would be a good sized house for the Chess revival. It'll just suck to have it dark all summer.
Posted: 5/2/25 at 10:15am
At least we'll always have the social media clips of Idina Menzel screlting while repelling against a tree.
In all seriousness, my heart goes out to all those involved and I hope they quickly bounce back with more work.
Posted: 5/2/25 at 10:31am
TIMBERRRRRRRRRR!
Sorry, but l was so bored by this woodland after-school special that I forgot about it as soon as I left.
I’m always sad to see a show close, but when part of it is the result of what appears to be a rush to get a Broadway house, I’m less sympathetic
Posted: 5/2/25 at 10:34am
Any guesses on Queen of Versailles making it this long of a run, or less?
Posted: 5/2/25 at 10:41am
GiantsInTheSky2 said: "Any guesses on Queen of Versailles making it this long of a run, or less?"
Is Redwood the new Liz Truss cabbage?
Posted: 5/2/25 at 10:44am
Kad said: "I think this was really a case of Landau and Menzel being way too close to the material after having developed it for so long, coupled with a wild overestimation of Menzel's box office draw."
This sums it up perfectly.
Posted: 5/2/25 at 10:54am
GiantsInTheSky2 said: "Any guesses on Queen of Versailles making it this long of a run, or less?"
Saw QoV out of town. Needs work. Lots of potential. Enjoyed it a lot.
As long as it remains in the St James theatre, it will not run as long as Redwood. The many people who signed off on that choice of theatre are either idiots or delusional. ATG seems hellbent on cementing the St James as a certified flop house.
Posted: 5/2/25 at 11:11am
dan94 said: "As long as it remains in the St James theatre, it will not run as long as Redwood. The many people who signed off on that choice of theatre are either idiots or delusional. ATG seems hellbent on cementing the St James as a certified flop house."
The people who signed off on that house are Seaview, Sonia Friedman, and Bill Damaschke. No slouches, but nobody's immune to a flop. Cheno + Schwartz + Arden sounds like a more winning combo on paper, but that response out of town was awful. I know they did a workshop a few weeks ago, hopefully they've put some real hard work into it.
I agree that the St. James feels way too big for this thing, and its budget & running costs are also higher than REDWOOD.
Posted: 5/2/25 at 11:18am
inception said: "The reported mess Tina Landau has put on stage at Lincoln Center (I haven't been to NYC since November, so am relying on reports I have read) are further evidence that the writer should not also be the director."
I can appreciate why some people were hoping for something different at Lincoln Center, but the current production of Floyd Collins is far from a mess and earned all of its Tony nominations.
I enjoyed Redwood but I can understand how it got lost in the shuffle this season. It wasn't on my personal list to get any nominations, either (except maybe set design).
There are no crazy Menzel fans to be seen on this thread (as I type), so that's a bit of a straw man. I'm sure those fans exist elsewhere, but they're not the ones appearing a little unhinged here. (This last paragraph, of course, isn't directed towards inception's comment but to others on the thread.)
Updated On: 5/2/25 at 11:18 AM
Posted: 5/2/25 at 12:02pm
I kind of love what I’ve heard from ‘still’, ‘in the leaves’ and ‘the great escape’. I’m sad I might not get to see the show.
Posted: 5/2/25 at 12:10pm
binau said: "I kind of love what I’ve heard from ‘still’, ‘in the leaves’ and ‘the great escape’. I’m sad I might not get to see the show."
Don't be. It's horrible.
Posted: 5/2/25 at 12:21pm
Looking at grosses in combination with the Tony nominations, I sadly predict that Real Women Have Curves and BOOP! are not long for this world either.
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